Violent crime in Tacoma decreased nearly 19% in 2nd half of 2023, police chief says

TACOMA, Wash. — Tacoma City Council members received an update Tuesday on the Tacoma Police Department’s (TPD) crime reduction plan. The plan, which began in the summer of 2022, has been touted in its role to help decrease crime throughout the city.

TPD Chief Avery Moore and researchers from the University of Texas at San Antonio, who’ve helped the city with the plan, gave the City Council an update about efforts to reduce crimes in "hot spot" areas and shared citywide crime data. Officials also talked about specific streets where the crime reduction plan has been implemented.

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“Data will also be presented on crime trends in the area of South Hosmer Street and South 86th Street, which is Site #1 of TPD’s Place-Based Problem-Oriented Policing plan," police said in a news release before the update. "TPD will launch the same crime reduction strategies at a second site along Puyallup Avenue South near the Tacoma Dome in the coming weeks.”

When it comes to the crime reduction effort on Hosmer, KOMO reported earlier this year that several properties in the South End neighborhood of Tacoma, along South Hosmer, received a new purpose through "attainable housing units." The move aimed to fix up dilapidated properties in an attempt to reduce crime.

The areas a part of the project to convert hotels/motels to apartments include 7414 South Hosmer Street, 8702 South Hosmer Street, 8801 South Hosmer Street and 8820 South Hosmer Street.

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Emily Hubbard, the owner of Sage Investment Group, spoke about what they’re hoping to accomplish.

“My husband and I were born and raised in the Pacific Northwest," Hubbard said. "So, we were familiar with what the Hosmer neighborhood district was before the crime set in and took over. We knew that there were a lot of really wonderful people in the area that would love for it to be restored to what it was formerly without all of the shootings, drugs and violence.”

On Tuesday, Moore and his team mentioned the work that has been done on Hosmer, which contributed to lower crime and calls for service:

• The removal of 12 homeless encampments
• Initiated contact with 30 individuals experiencing homelessness. Six of these individuals accepted offered services, leading to two being placed in shelters
• Environmental services also played a crucial role by issuing 26 illegal dumping reports and overseeing the removal of over 83,000 pounds of waste

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It's yet to be seen how the crime reduction plan will be carried out on Puyallup Avenue South, near East 25th Street.

Along that stretch of road, KOMO News talked to Alexx Bacon, owner Aaberg’s Tool and Equipment Rental.

“This part of Tacoma is notorious since COVID of having massive crime issues,” Bacon said.

The crime affecting his business got so bad, that Bacon put up an electric fence around it, which has solved the issue.

“We put the electric fence up because of just the numerous break-ins in our area here,” he said.

Bacon said he wishes the police department would’ve taken more focused action sooner.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve called and now I don’t call anymore and that upsets the police, because the police need me to call so they have something to go to City Council and our government with. But us business owners, it’s been such a disaster. I don’t have the time to do it anymore. I’m just glad they finally have actually put a little priority on us here and maybe will do something about it.”

Bacon said “‘doing something’ to me, is just enforcing the laws: no open drug use, and maybe crack down on the people dealing the drugs.”

Each time the police chief has spoken to the City Council about the plan, he has mentioned a decrease in crime numbers. On Tuesday, the result of the plan was much of the same.

Moore and his team told City Council members that violent street crime - like robbery, aggravated assault, and murder - decreased by 18.6% in the latter half of 2023 compared to the same time period in 2022.

The police department also listed numerous arrests:

• From January 1 to March 31, 64 narcotics investigations were conducted, resulting in 20 arrests and the seizure of 83 pounds of methamphetamine and 110,000 fentanyl pills, along with 33 firearms recovered. They also apprehended nine violent offenders, including murder suspects
• Spearheaded a multi-jurisdictional organized crime investigation targeting illegal marijuana operations, they seized 3,580 marijuana plants, 78 pounds of processed cannabis, and 12 vehicles
• Efforts to address street racing led to 106 arrests and 43 spectator arrests
• In property crime initiatives, they investigated 661 felony level cases, issued 83 bulletins, and arrested 55 individuals
• Dedicated efforts to combat Kia/Hyundai theft resulted in 55 arrests. On March 15, 2024, in collaboration with PSATT and Hyundai Motor Company, the Tacoma Police Department hosted a software updating event at the Tacoma Dome, demonstrating our commitment to preventing theft and enhancing public safety

TPD officials have been providing updates to the City Council on the crime reduction plan since it began in the summer of 2022. Previous updates occurred in November,May, February and November 2022.